Humans need plants for survival, but we also need them for their basis in the long-term health and sustainability of our environmental systems. Plants improve the environment in many ways, like releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing nutrients to animals, and regulating the water cycle — all things we need to sustain life on Earth.
A world without bees would not be as sweet. Honey, wax, propolis, royal jelly, pollen, and even bee venom would not exist in the place we call home. Today, on World Bee Day, we celebrate and honor the tiny, but mighty workers who help to improve our environment and acknowledge how important it is to ensure they stay alive.
Amongst the mountains and the deep green forests of central Africa lives the stoic mountain gorilla. Standing between 4 and 6 feet tall, weighing between 300 and 500 pounds, and covered in hair from head to toe, these gentle mammals form bands or troops for community living. Each troop covers an area of .75 to 16 square miles, and an adult gorilla can eat up to 39-44 pounds of vegetation in a day. These gentle giants spend most of their day eating while occasionally playing with their babies.
Slicing through the oceanic depths, sharks are graceful creatures with a row full of teeth that have haunted nightmares and received a dedicated viewership during Shark Week. From tail tip to nose, the shark skeleton is all cartilage, and its jaw is unattached at the skull, meaning that the jaw can enlarge to swallow large prey. While some similarities are drawn between fish and sharks, sharks also navigate the oceanic environment with the aid of a sophisticated electroreceptive system that allows them to detect slight electrical fields.
Everyone knows that trees are essential for combatting climate change and maintaining the earth’s air quality. As society begins to take notice of the effects of climate change, there is a desperate need for solutions. That’s where reforestation comes in. Reforestation offers a natural climate solution, promising to potentially provide 37% of the greenhouse gas mitigation and stabilize global heating. Research reveals that trees benefit the climate and human health.
Gracefully statuesque with muscular shoulders and a long, arching neck, giraffes roam the African savanna, grazing from the treetops. Their legs are often longer than 6 feet, and they can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour for short distances. These tall creatures with goofy faces, long purple tongues, and an array of individual spotting patterns flaunt two horns alongside their ears that mimics a crown. Needing about 5-30 minutes of sleep per 24-hour period and requiring a sip of water every few days, giraffes are basically superbeings.
Hidden behind the dense curtain of the ocean water and singing an eerie song of their own, whales are the gentle giants of the deepest depths. Whales are built similarly to the Hippopotamus and are warm-blooded with a layer of blubber to help insulate and moderate body temperature. Large flippers allow them to navigate the ocean currents, and their blowholes on the top of their head allow a quick breath before diving again. Some whales can hold their breath for up to 90 minutes.
As children, butterflies represented the magic of fairies and long summer day adventures. Little one's dreamed of what colors wings they would have or flapped their arms and pretended to fly. The monarch butterfly established its reign over all the butterflies with its brilliant golden orange patterned wing. Also going by the name of common tiger, black veined brown, and wanderer, this majestic winged insect struggles to survive in a changing climate.